Article 16

Article 15

Article 14

Article 13

Article 12

Article 11

Article 10

Article 4

Article 3

Article 2

Summary

Introduction

This Joint Report on the Observance of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment by the Russian Federation for the period from 2001 to 2005 was prepared jointly by the leading Russian NGOs, including: DEMOS Research Center, Public Verdict Foundation, Civic Assistance Committee, Memorial Human Rights Center, All-Russian Movement “For Human Rights”, “Social Partnership Foundation”, Union of Soldiers’ Mothers Committees of Russia, Nizhniy Novgorod Committee against Torture, Krasnoyarsk Public Committee for Human Rights Protection, Perm regional human rights defender center, Kazan Human Rights Center, Yorshkar-Ola organization “Man and Law”, Memorial Human Rights Commission of Komi Republic, the Public Interest Law Initiative, Mordovian Republican Human Rights Center, Public Problems Research Institute «United Europe», Tver Memorial Society, Krasnodar Organization “Mothers in Defense of the Rights of Those Arrested, Under Investigation and Convicted”, Association of human rights organizations of Sverdlovsk region, Chita Human Rights Center. The Public Verdict Foundation was responsible for general coordination; Demos Research Center was responsible for legal editing of the report.

Out of 136 cases submitted by Russian human rights NGOs and monitored by the Public Verdict Foundation during the period July 2005 – July 2006, 70% or 95 cases are concerned with unlawful violence and abuse of citizens by agents of the state, and 10,5% (10) of them are cases which have already resulted in convictions. More >

Appendix to the Appeal to Leaders of the G8 Countries from Participants of the Conference “Human Rights in Russia in the Year of Russia’s Presidency in the G8 and the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers”

Russia’s judiciary system causes grave concerns. Independence of the judiciary is declared in the Constitution and national legislation; however, regardless of the recent judicial reform, judges are not independent. Virtually every judge is totally dependent on the presiding judge of the court, and the presiding judges obey the executive authorities. Judges attempting to rule against the opinion of a presiding judge or executive officials, as well as judges who dare to criticize the current state of affairs, are disciplined and often stripped of their judicial status. Public discontent with the judicial performance is simply ignored.

Address to the Leaders of the G8 Countries of the Conference “Human Rights in Russia in the Year of Russia’s Chairmanship in the G8 and the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers”

We, more than 130 representatives of Russian and international human rights organizations, participants of the July 5 Conference "Human Rights in Russia in the Year of Russia's Chairmanship in the G8 and the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers," express our grave concern with the human rights situation in the Russian Federation.

A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF HUMAN RIGHTS PROBLEMS IN RUSSIA AND RECOMMENDATIONS

APPENDIX to the Appeal to Leaders of the G8 Countries from Participants of the Conference "Human Rights in Russia in the Year of Russia's Presidency in the G8 and the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers"

Round table “Independent public oversight of law enforcement bodies and the penitentiary system”

We affirm that independent public oversight of state authorities has become an essential element of democracy, which ensures civic participation in governance in between election periods and ensures public security, social stability and the stability of state institutions as well as the sustainable democratic development of countries.

On July 3, 2006, a roundtable on human rights entitled ‘Terrorism, Counter-Terrorism and Armed Conflicts' was held in Moscow within the framework of the Civil G8 Forum. The participants in this roundtable call on the leaders of G8 countries to acknowledge the grave dangers posed not only by international terrorism and localized armed conflict, but also by state violations of a range of human rights guarantees in the context of the ‘War on Terror'.

Round Table on Migration, Xenophobia and Racial Discrimination

In recognizing with regret that the issues of migration and asylum were not a part of the agenda of this year's G8, the roundtable encourages the member states of the G8 to place these issues and the related issue of rising xenophobia on the agenda of the G8 Summit to be held in Germany in 2007.

Report on the follow up to the visit of the special rapporteur on torture to the russian federation

Following the invitation of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights the “Public Verdict” Foundation and the “Demos” Research Center on Public Interest would like to submit report summarizing information on the follow up to the visit of the Special Rapporteur on torture to the Russian Federation in the year 1994. Report contains information on measures taken by the Russian authorities to implement of the Special Rapporteur recommendations and effect of those measures. Report is based on information collected by the “Public Verdict” Foundation and the “Demos” Research Center and other Russian NGOs including the Moscow Center for Prison Reform, the Moscow Helsinki Group (MHG), the All-Russia public movement “For Human Rights”, and the Perm Regional Human Rights Centre. Text of the report compiled by Olga Shepeleva, lawyer of the “Demos” Research Center.More >